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After starring in what might be his last Mission: Impossible movie, Tom Cruise is already moving on to a new action franchise. Cruise has penned a deal with Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions to star as Jack Reacher, a retired military policeman turned crime-fighting drifter, inOne Shot. Based on the novel series by Lee Child, Reacher is a reoccurring character known for his stoic nature, brutality in dealing with villains and his imposing size. The plot of One Shot revolves around Reacher investigating an accused sniper who gunned down five seemingly innocent victims. Though it is set in a Midwestern town, the movie is expected to film in Pittsburgh. Christopher McQuarrie (The Way of the Gun) is attached as the writer/director. For more on One Shot and Cruise’s upcoming projects, hit the jump.

News of Cruise’s casting comes by way of Deadline and has stirred up a bit of discussion among fans of the novels. While Reacher’s formidable size (listed at 6’5’’, 250lbs) may confuse some as to Cruise as a casting choice (Cruise is only 6’5’’ if you’re dyslexic), the author of One Shot is squarely in his corner, saying, “Reacher’s size in the books is a metaphor for an unstoppable force, which Cruise portrays in his own way.” Having seen his performance in Paramount’s upcoming Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, the powers-that-be apparently agree with Child’s opinion and greenlit Cruise for the role.

After Ghost Protocol hits theaters on December 16th, Cruise can next be seen as 80’s rock star Stacee Jaxx in Adam Shankman’s (Hairspray) Rock of Ages. Cruise is also attached to star in Joseph Kosinski’s (TRON: Legacy) sci-fi war film, Oblivion.

McQuarrie, who wrote 2008’s Valkyrie, starring Cruise, also wrote The Tourist, to which Cruise was briefly attached. His screenplay work can next be seen in James Mangold’s (3:10 to Yuma) The Wolverine, which is slated to begin filming this October.